His Loser Look Alike
by MizuneMinamiki
Summary: Every person has a double; for Kyoya, that just happens to be some glasses bookworm from England who has never touched a Beyblade. When Ryutaro and Tobio decide to have a little fun and convert Jacques into 'Kyoya' and send him up against Ryuga, how with the real, bad-boy Kyoya Tategami take it? ((collab with 'brave kid'))
1. Chapter 1

**Hi guys! So I want to start off by thanking **_**brave kid **_**for the wonderful ideas and for graciously giving me the honor of writing it! I hope this fic pleases everyone!**

**Also, this may not get updated as frequently as **_**Prey to the Mighty King**_**, obviously because that one has more priority at the moment.**

**And now, enjoy this prologue!**

….

"_The art of beyblade is even encouraged due to its therapeutic benefits. Not only is it uplifting for a blader to win a battle, but some bladers have even reported having a spiritual connection to their bey spirit, or bit-beast. While a bit-beast can appear at crucial moments in a battle and its feelings can even be sensed by its owner, it has yet to speak directly to man. (More information on this controversy on page 178.)_

"_Beyblading is not only considered a hardcore sport in which bladers "battle it out" to see who can become the best, however that is what it is used for most. Many people have launched their bey merely for the inspiring feeling one can experience in seeing a little top touch the ground as a result of his or her own hard work and training. When asked to explain what this feels like, many bladers can only say that one must "pick up a Beyblade and see for himself" that it is "not something that can be explained, but something that must be felt."_

_Interesting…._

The teenage boy marked his page with a torn piece of paper, littered with messy cursive notes in blue ink. He slipped his glasses off and polished the lenses with the bottom of his pine-green shirt before perching them once again on the bridge of his pointed nose. Placing the book on the side table next to his recliner, he rose to his feet and lifted his arms up in a luxurious stretch, the bones crackling along his spine in response. He took a peek at the clock hanging on the wall over the couch.

12:52 p.m.

He bent down and reached for the lamp to click it off, the only source of light disappearing and flooding his room with shadows. He left everything where it was and headed for the door, pulling it closed as he left. No sooner than he exited the silence of his bedroom was he greeted by the hushed murmur of the television downstairs. His feet carried him swiftly down the stairs and led him to the kitchen where his mother was hovering over the stove with a pot in hand.

"Ah! Jacques," she greeted him as he plopped into a chair at the table. The older woman snuck a glance at him over her shoulder. "Nice of you to join me for lunch before your trip."

The teenage boy blinked his sky blue eyes slowly, watching her dance around the kitchen as if she were still young. She was always like this, especially when it came to cooking. Had it not been for her childlike behavior and love for experimenting with the taste buds, she would've never opened the famous bakery that Jacques and his parents were known for.

"I couldn't just leave without a goodbye," he said simply, blinking gratitude at her as she set a bowl of pasta on the place mat in front of him. She served herself a dish as well, then took a seat across from her son.

"So what do you intend to do when you get there?" the blonde woman asked.

Jacques swallowed a bite. "Study."

"You're taking a month-long trip to Japan, and all you're going to do is study?" His mother stared at him for a moment as though waiting for an answer, but when he finally opened his mouth to respond, she interrupted him. "I mean, I'm proud of you, and all. But you spend all of your time reading, unless you're at Alex's house…probably reading. Don't you ever want to have fun? To have friends? To date?"

A blush crept to his cheeks, and Jacques dropped his fork as he coughed to hide his choking. He lifted a napkin to his lips, desperately wishing that he could hide himself from his mother. Had she seriously just asked that? How embarrassing!

"I – I do have friends! And I don't need to d-date," the blond boy stammered defensively, trying his best to fight the heat that rose to his face.

The woman across from him twirled her fork around some of the spaghetti in her bowl, her deep blue eyes fixed on her food the whole time. "You read way too much. If you joined your father and I in working at the bakery, you may find yourself under a lot less stress."

"Mom!" Jacques brought a fist down hard onto the table, and it sent a spark of pain up through his arm. There was no hiding the bright shade of red that stained his skin and gave away his embarrassment. Why did she have to bring up his lack of friends? It wasn't like he was _completely _alone in the world; he had his best friend, Alex, who completely understood him in his love for reading. And there were a few others that he would talk to every now and then.

_Granted, it would be nice to have more friends…_

She lifted her hands in defense. "I'm just saying…"

An awkward silence washed over them, and they resumed eating, the only noise the clank of silverware on dishes. Jacques didn't look back up to meet his mother's gaze, but he could feel her watching him the whole time. Once finished, Jacques promptly stood, dismissed himself, and went straight into the bathroom upstairs. Upon walking in, he was greeted by a floor-length mirror reflecting back the appearance of the poor unfortunate nerd he knew himself to be.

A tall, lean teenage boy, wearing baggy pants and a tight shirt to show off his thin frame. Flawless tanned skin. Sandy-blonde hair that stood taller than any person would think possible, pulled back into a small ponytail. Sky blue eyes that held compassion. Glasses perched on the bridge of his nose. Bright white teeth, with one tooth as a fang-like extension.

Jacques walked into his bedroom and retrieved a few books from his bookshelf, placing them neatly in his open suitcase. Those were the last things he needed; zipping the green bag up, he struggled to lift it with one hand and made his way down the stairs. After saying goodbye to his supportive mother, paying a visit to the bakery to say the same to his father, and dropping by Alex's place for a brief visit, he'd be on his way to the airport to take a flight.

England to Japan.

To watch a battle between two bladers he'd heard to be among the best in the world.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Hey, hey! Sorry for the late update! I have lots of other stories to work on, plus this 10 page Creative Writing assignment, and blergh._**

**_So thanks to everyone who was kind enough to review, follow, and favorite this story! I hope you'll enjoy reading!_**

**_Oh, and also, even though these people have different languages, in a perfect world, just pretend they understand each other, mkay? I'll explain more throughout the chapter._**

Chapter One: Arrival in Japan

"Why is this so complicated?"

Jacques scratched his head as he eyed the street-signs carefully, trying to place the seemingly random scribbles of kanji* with words. He sighed. Maybe studying Japanese for so long wasn't as big a help as he thought it would be. It might've been smarter to learn how to read the symbols instead of just familiarizing himself with the spoken language.

_Whatever. I can ask for help, later. I don't think my hotel is supposed to be near...well, whatever this is._

"Uh, excuse me?" Jacques extended a hand to catch the attention of a passer-by; a man, with light sea-green hair that hung down over eyes of the same color.** "Er, could you-"

That was all Jacques was able to get out before the strange guy flashed his palms, as though surrendering. He backed away slowly, muttering a few words, before turning and dashing away in the opposite direction, leaving Jacques to stare after him, dumbfounded.

_Did I translate that right? 'Please don't hurt me?'_ Jacques shook his head._ That can't be right!_

His bag slung over one shoulder, he shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his khakis and started moving on. The incident from moments before had left people staring after him with eyes full of curiosity and even...fear? Keeping his head down to avoid the nosy looks of other people, Jacques followed the sidewalk for several long minutes. Whispers filled his ears, however faint, as he passed by people of many shapes and sizes. He chose to ignore them, however. They were too quiet for him to hear the words clearly, and it wasn't like they would be talking about him, anyway.

The streets sure were lively, though. People buzzed around like bees, calling out to each other excitedly. Some people laughed, children ran around in circles, parents called to them to be careful. It was very much like home, Jacques realized.

"Yea! Show 'im who's boss!"

The blonde boy turned to see what the commotion was about. Nearby, he could hear the little metallic clanks of some object. People were gathered around, screaming and shouting enthusiastically. Curious, Jacques made his way over to the group. But as he neared, the liveliness disappeared. Some stared in shock, others in fear.

_What is with these people?_

Out of the corner of his eye, Jacques caught a glimpse of a little beyblade being retrieved by its owner. Whispers erupted from those who saw him, but Jacques turned away from them.

_So much for watching a bey battle._

Jacques turned to the left to head down one street, and was greeted by the warm breeze that carried with it the fresh, mouth-watering scent of food. He dragged his gaze up from the ground to take in his surroundings. He had found his way to a line of stores, mostly dives that didn't appear to be anything special on the outside. The scrumptious smell of Japanese cuisine that greeted Jacques from so far away swayed his decision to keep moving; instead, he figured he'd stop by for a bite to eat. No harm in that, right? Besides, one of the employees might be able to point him in the direction of a hotel.

Jacques pulled a hand from his pocket and placed it on the door. Before he was able to open it, he heard a voice speaking, and the words were loud enough for him to hear clearly.

"That must be him; what's he doing here?"

The blonde boy resisted the urge to turn and see who the guy was talking about before pushing the door open and vanishing into the little restaurant.

"My, my. I have reason to believe good luck will come our way!" A boy with midnight blue hair said excitedly.

"You said that yesterday, idiot. And the day before that. And the day before that," his friend snapped harshly. He glanced over to the taller teenager, his dark eyes flashing with irritation.

"It's sure to happen today!" The boy smiled at his friend for a moment before reaching for his chopsticks and retrieving a small piece of chicken. He ate it, chewing slowly and swallowing before speaking again. "Why must you be such a sourpuss, anyway, Tobio?"

His response was muffled from the food he had stuffed in his mouth. After a moment, he snapped back. "Ryutaro, that's like asking why you have to be an annoying optimist all the time."

"Humph." Ryutaro turned his nose up into the air, whipping out his fan and bringing it up to cover his mouth.

"Er...excuse me?"

"Get lost, kid. We're busy." Tobio hadn't even looked up from his plate of food. He didn't even seem to acknowledge the familiarity of that voice...

Ryutaro cast a side-glance at the boy who stood by their table, and almost immediately his eyes widened to the size of saucers. He averted his gaze to stare in the other direction, while he - not very discreetly - nudged his short friend in the side with an elbow. Despite it being mere seconds that passed in silence, both Ryutaro and the newcomer squirmed from the awkwardness of the situation.

Then Tobio broke the quiet. "What...?" he muttered to Ryutaro. Upon catching his friend's gaze, still looking past him at the person who's interrupted their lunch, Tobio groaned. "For the love of God, kid, just get-" He finally glanced up, and the moment he glimpsed the face of the blonde kid who stood over him, he broke off with a scream, which Ryutaro joined in on. The 'familiar' face looking back at them only wore an expression of utter surprise and confusion.

Standing here was the first person he'd lost a bey battle to.

Wait.

No. That couldn't be. That blader didn't have blonde hair. Not did he wear such dorky glasses.

But then...who was he?

Ryutaro placed a hand on Tobio's shoulder a moment after falling quiet. "He's...that's not him," the fortune-teller murmured.

"Not who!?" Jacques slammed a fist down on the table, much to the surprise of the two bladers. "Why is everyone treating me so strangely? I've done nothing!"

The friends exchanged a glance, and Ryutaro, being the kinder of the two, motioned for Jacques to take a seat in the empty chair. "It's nothing you did. It's merely that you have...quite a resemblance to someone who is an infamous blader."

"Care to elaborate?" the English boy prompted, eyes narrowed.

"Whatever." Tobio shoved a hand into one of his pockets and pulled out a leather wallet. He sifted through the stacks of cards, cash, and who-knows-what-else before taking a wrinkled piece of paper, placing it on the table, and sliding it toward Jacques.

The kid's eyes widened. The photo was in black-and-white, of a person staring back at the camera with narrowed eyes that burned with the intensity of a thousand suns. His hair stuck up the same as Jacques. His face had the same pointy chin and nose, and the same tooth jutted out from his mouth like a fang. Cross-like scars were just under his eyes. Aside from those markings and Jacques glasses, the two may as well have been twins.

"Tobio. May I ask you why you have a picture of Kyoya in your wallet?" Ryutaro asked, his voice betraying amusement.

"Shut up." The short guy's face turned a little pink at his friend's insinuation.

Ryutaro grinned. "Anyway, I think this might be what the fortune meant!"

Jacques tilted his head to one side in bewilderment before standing up. "You know what, I don't have time for this. Thanks for nothing."

"Wait, kid!" Tobio snatched Jacques' wrist and pulled him back. "How would you like to make a little cash?"

_***For those who don't know, 'kanji' are Chinese characters.**_

_****The description of that random pedestrian was actually of Mikuo Hatsune from Vocaloid, not a Beyblade character.**_

_**So that's it. Any guesses as to what Tobio's gonna ask of him?**_

_**I hope you enjoyed reading this! Please review!**_

_**Until next time, my friends!**_

_**(:Mizune**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Sorry for the late update! (Again!) Lots of stuff has been going on. But I'm not gonna ramble about it. Enjoy this~!**_

* * *

**Last Chapter.**

_Ryutaro placed a hand on Tobio's shoulder a moment after falling quiet. "He's...that's not him," the fortune-teller murmured._

_"Not who!?" Jacques slammed a fist down on the table, much to the surprise of the two bladers. "Why is everyone treating me so strangely? I've done nothing!"_

_The friends exchanged a glance, and Ryutaro, being the kinder of the two, motioned for Jacques to take a seat in the empty chair. "It's nothing you did. It's merely that you have...quite a resemblance to someone who is an infamous blader."_

_"Care to elaborate?" the English boy prompted, eyes narrowed._

_"Whatever." Tobio shoved a hand into one of his pockets and pulled out a leather wallet. He sifted through the stacks of cards, cash, and who-knows-what-else before taking a wrinkled piece of paper, placing it on the table, and sliding it toward Jacques._

_The kid's eyes widened. The photo was in black-and-white, of a person staring back at the camera with narrowed eyes that burned with the intensity of a thousand suns. His hair stuck up the same as Jacques. His face had the same pointy chin and nose, and the same tooth jutted out from his mouth like a fang. Cross-like scars were just under his eyes. Aside from those markings and Jacques glasses, the two may as well have been twins._

_"Tobio. May I ask you why you have a picture of Kyoya in your wallet?" Ryutaro asked, his voice betraying amusement._

_"Shut up." The short guy's face turned a little pink at his friend's insinuation._

_Ryutaro grinned. "Anyway, I think this might be what the fortune meant!"_

_Jacques tilted his head to one side in bewilderment before standing up. "You know what, I don't have time for this. Thanks for nothing."_

_"Wait, kid!" Tobio snatched Jacques' wrist and pulled him back. "How would you like to make a little cash?"_

* * *

**Chapter Two: The Deal.**

Jacques narrowed his sky blue eyes at the bushy-haired boy, feeling suspicious of the kid's intentions. No person in their right mind would offer money to someone they barely knew! Especially not if they were panicking over said person being an enemy. It had to be a trick...

"What's the catch?" the blonde boy asked hesitantly, eyeing him warily.

Tobio smirked and pointed to the chair next to him. "Take a seat. I'll explain everything."

Ryutaro blinked in consideration, placing his elbows on the table and resting his chin on his hands. "What have you got planned, Tobio?" he prompted with an amused expression lighting his face.

"I think we should have a little fun with Kyoya's reputation," replied Tobio, pushing back his plate of food and pulling a sucker from his pocket. He took a moment to unwrap it, the crinkling of the wrapper the only sound for several long moments before he put the treat in his mouth. When he spoke again, his voice was a little muffled as he spoke around the cherry sucker. "Kid, how good are you with Beyblade?"

Jacques smiled proudly. "Well, I know a lot about it. I've read just about every book there is on the subject, and -"

"No, no, no." Tobio waved his hands and shook his head, as he interrupted the oblivious kid. "I meant, how are your Beyblading skills?"

"Oh, that?" Jacques rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Heh...I've never owned one."

Ryutaro's mouth dropped open, his eyes wide in disbelief. "How can you have gone all this time without Beyblading!? It's amazing!"

"I think it's about time you learned what it's like, kid." Tobio twirled his sucker around between two fingers. He reached down with his free hand to pull out a little shiny top.

Jacques squinted and took the beyblade from him, studying each and every detail. The color was a red-orange, glittering in the light. Every crook in the body of the bey was uniquely different from all the other beyblades he'd seen before, something that made it one-of-a-kind. The centerpiece was a light purple, with a decal of the bit beast and its name. He ran his fingers slowly along the top of the bey, as though he could feel the power surging within the tiny object.

"I've never seen one up close like this..." Jacques murmured distantly. The closest he'd ever been was the time he went to the Beyblade museum in England, where some of the most powerful little tops were held, with the exception of the two greatest, as they were still being used. Right there in Japan.

"You've never lived!" Ryutaro exclaimed, setting his own beyblade on the table. "Take a look at mine."

The English boy picked up the second one and gazed at it. This one was a violet color, with a yellow centerpiece. The details of the two beys were quite different, yet they were still so similar. Jacques was amazed by the tiny tops; it was absolutely wonderful how something like that could exist.

"What is it that you'd like me to do?" Jacques asked, reluctantly handing over the beys to their respective owners.

"As you know, you have quite a resemblance to Kyoya Tategami," Tobio began, leaning back in his chair and clasping his hands together in his lap. "I think it would be fun to turn you into the guy as sort of a...prank."

Jacques shook his head, flashing his palms in surrender. "I'm sorry, I really don't want to get caught up in something like that with your friend..."

"He's far from my friend," Tobio said quickly, slightly irritated. "Come on, it's not like you'll get hurt," he added desperately, which Jacques knew was definitely a huge lie. Some people had been injured pretty bad in a bey battle.

"Okay, let's say I were to agree. What's the point of this?"

"I dunno; I hadn't really thought that far into it." The yellow-haired boy shrugged. "I guess just to play around with Kyoya."

"What's in it for me?" Jacques raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms.

Tobio smirked. "The experience of a lifetime."

* * *

_**Yeaaa...not my best Chapter. Whatever. I'm exhausted. Reviews are the only thing that will keep this story going. So, please review!(:**_

_**Thanks for reading!**_

_**(:Mizune**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Thanks to those who reviewed! **_

_**I apologize this update took so long. School's drawing to an end and we've got exams and EOCs coming up - and I've been doing some major sucking in history recently - so I've been trying to focus on that. Aaaand my interest in Beyblade is deteriorating fast, so it's hard for me to write more than a couple of paragraphs without losing interest. *sigh***_

_**I'll be more faithful for this fic for now!**_

_**Here's this update!**_

**Last Chapter.**

_"What is it that you'd like me to do?" Jacques asked, reluctantly handing over the beys to their respective owners._

_"As you know, you have quite a resemblance to Kyoya Tategami," Tobio began, leaning back in his chair and clasping his hands together in his lap. "I think it would be fun to turn you into the guy as sort of a...prank."_

_Jacques shook his head, flashing his palms in surrender. "I'm sorry, I really don't want to get caught up in something like that with your friend..."_

_"He's far from my friend," Tobio said quickly, slightly irritated. "Come on, it's not like you'll get hurt," he added desperately, which Jacques knew was definitely a huge lie. Some people had been injured pretty bad in a bey battle._

_"Okay, let's say I were to agree. What's the point of this?"_

_"I dunno; I hadn't really thought that far into it." The yellow-haired boy shrugged. "I guess just to play around with Kyoya."_

_"What's in it for me?" Jacques raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms._

_Tobio smirked. "The experience of a lifetime."_

**Chapter Four: Transformation**

Jacques placed his elbows on the table, laced his fingers together, and rested his chin on them. His sky blue eyes were narrowed in thought, fixed on some point past Ryutaro. If he were to accept, there was a possibility of getting seriously injured, there was no doubt about that. But...since when did someone get an offer like this? And someone like _him_, of all people. He hadn't even ever so much as _touched_ a beyblade until a few minutes ago. Would he really be able to pull of some kind of a battle?

This had to be some kind of fate. No...not fate. _Science_. A pre-determined order of how things would occur in the world. But just because he didn't believe in chance. He believed in _facts_. And there had to be some scientific, _factual_ reason as to how he could've turned up _here_ and been given an offer that any person in his or her right mind would accept immediately. Maybe he was destined for great things.

Jacques gave a light shake of his head as he disagreed with the thought. That couldn't be it. He dropped his gaze down to the table, staring intently at the pattern in the dark wood. What would happen if he said _yes_?

"Listen, kid, we ain't got all day," Tobio growled around the sucker in his mouth. He leaned forward, his eyes cold and impatient, prompting Jacques for an answer.

"I-I…need more time," he stammered in response, heat rising to his cheeks in embarrassment. He hated being the center of attention…(Maybe that meant that being there in the middle of a competition was a bad idea…?) His eyes darted back and forth when he looked at Tobio, trying his hardest to avoid the short boy's fierce and demanding gaze.

"How long?" growled Tobio impatiently. "I want to know as soon as possible if you're willing to do this or not."

Jacques scratched the back of his head sheepishly, his voice a tiny, uncertain squeak. "Well, I-I need to, er, analyze the pros and cons of the situation, and see if such an agreement is worth the risk –"

The boy with the bushy yellow hair waved his hands in an aggravated signal for the blonde English kid to be quiet. Tobio heaved an exaggerated sigh. "I don't need to hear your smart person gibberish. Just, uh…"

"Meet us tomorrow – same time, same place – with an answer!" Ryutaro cut in joyously, wagging a finger at Jacques. The violet haired blader had his eyes closed and lips turned up in a big smile.

Jacques raised a brow at him. _Quite an awkward friend for someone as mean as Tobio…_he thought as he cast another glance at the cruel beyblader. "I-I…think that's a good idea," he agreed quickly, nodding his head several times. "Uh…I…thanks for your help, I suppose." He stood up and pushed his chair back under the table, blinking once at Ryutaro as a goodbye and giving a terrified bow to Tobio, as though he thought anything less respectful would result in some kind of pain for him.

"See you tomorrow, kid." Tobio snorted rudely. "And you better not stand us up."

"Promise," the blonde boy said breathlessly before dashing away to get the heck out of there.

After the bell above the door jingled, signaling Jacques's leaving, Ryutaro turned to Tobio and smiled. His voice was gentle as he fixed his friend with a kind gaze. He rested his chin on the palms of his hands and sighed dreamily.

"So tell me, Tobio," he asked soothingly, "what your _real_ plan is for that boy?" Ryutaro raised his eyebrows. "Hmmm?"

Tobio took his glass in his hand and pulled the sucker out of his mouth for a moment as he took a drink. After replacing it, his signature smirk spread across his face, his eyes narrowed. "The next beyblade competition is in one week, yes?"

"Yes…" Ryutaro agreed.

"Do you remember when Kyoya defeated me for the first time?" he asked, his eyes glazing over with memories. Leone had discovered Capricorn's destructive pattern and had managed to predict his next move, effectively blocking Tobio's attack – and ending the battle. After Ryutaro dipped his head in a nod, Tobio continued. "I lost all respect that people had for me as a blader. If I team up with Kyoya and win, I may get that back. All the glory…will be mine _again_."

"But…" Ryutaro tipped his head to one side in confusion. "How would you get Kyoya to…" A look of realization danced across his face. "Ohh! I get it! That's genius!" His expression suddenly changed to one of worry. "But what if Ginga shows up? Or worse…the _real_ Kyoya?"

Tobio gave a careless shrug, rolling his eyes. "Don't worry about it. The others are most likely off at some other competitions. Remember that this one isn't the biggest contest out there.'

The violet-haired boy nodded in understanding. "Okay…I suppose. I guess we'll just have to wait until tomorrow, then."

:::::

Jacques tossed his bag to the floor and collapsed onto the bed, noting how remarkably comfortable it was for such a cheap hotel. He closed his eyes in an attempt to relax, yet found himself unable to. Images from earlier in the day kept flashing back to his mind and preventing him from thinking of anything else. He had been offered the chance of a lifetime. Yet it had happened so sudden, Jacques fretted, that it had to be some kind of trap. What if the two were only trying to get him into trouble with the real Kyoya Tategami? That would certainly not be good.

The blonde boy heaved a deep sigh and rolled over so that he could bury his face in the beige colored pillow. Accepting would mean that his original plans of watching and studying beyblade from the stands wouldn't be carried out. Instead, he would be there. In the action. In the center of it all. Oh, the books he would be able to write with the knowledge that might come out of _that_!

He forced himself to relax so that he could drift off to sleep, completely ignoring the fact that it hadn't even passed six o'clock yet, or that he hadn't even had a shower. He would have a big day tomorrow.

The answer was obvious.

::::::

_The next day_

Ryutaro paced back and forth, one hand held up to his mouth as he chewed at his nails. His gaze darted from Tobio – who sat at the same table as the day before – and back to something in front of him. "Do you think he'll come? He's twenty minutes late."

"Of course he'll come!" Tobio slammed his fist down on the table in frustration, the dishes making a few clanking sounds at the action. "No idiot is dumb enough to leave _me_ hanging."

As if on cue, the golden bell hanging above the door tinkled as it opened. The blonde boy walked in, looking nervous and confused. He was dressed in a black tee shirt that hugged his frame, and baggy khaki pants that flared out at the bottoms over his brown boots. His hair was still as tall as ever, neatly held up with what had to have been pounds of gel while a small amount of it hung behind him in a little ponytail. As his gaze rested on the two from yesterday, he pushed the glasses up farther on the bridge of his nose and made his way over to them.

"I've decided to accept your offer," he announced once he was within earshot. Jacques halted beside the table, glancing down at Tobio as if expecting some kind of approval to glow in the boy's eyes.

"That's great!" Ryutaro beamed.

Tobio snorted. "Good. We've got some work to do, then."

"S-so soon?" Jacques stuttered uneasily, clearly unprepared for things to take such a drastic turn.

"Of course." Ryutaro gave a cheery laugh and waved his hands around, practically bouncing up and down in enthusiasm. "I'm so excited! I get to do a makeover and everything!"

"B-but isn't that a bit…girly?" Jacques asked reluctantly, taking a step back in alarm at the sudden outburst.

"Not at all!" A look of pure amusement flickered in Ryutaro's smoky blue eyes. "We get to have some fun now~!"

Jacques swallowed nervously. This couldn't be good.

_**Sorry it took so long! I'm definitely gonna try to focus more on my Beyblade stories.**_

_**More reviews mean quicker updates!**_

_**Until next time!**_

_**(:Mizune**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Hey, hey! Sorry I keep taking so long! Some of my other stories are getting so many more hits, and I'm trying to keep them updated regularly. Heh..heh…**_

_**Anyways, I'd like to give a special thanks to every single person who has reviewed, favorited, and followed this story thus far! (: I appreciate it a lot! **_

_**This...is not a good chapter. *hides away in a corner and cries***_

_**Enjoy~!**_

**Last chapter.**

_Tobio snorted. "Good. We've got some work to do, then."_

_"S-so soon?" Jacques stuttered uneasily, clearly unprepared for things to take such a drastic turn._

_"Of course." Ryutaro gave a cheery laugh and waved his hands around, practically bouncing up and down in enthusiasm. "I'm so excited! I get to do a makeover and everything!"_

_"B-but isn't that a bit…girly?" Jacques asked reluctantly, taking a step back in alarm at the sudden outburst._

_"Not at all!" A look of pure amusement flickered in Ryutaro's smoky blue eyes. "We get to have some fun now~!"_

_Jacques swallowed nervously. This couldn't be good._

**Chapter Five.**

"You know, even though that idiot kinda looks like the guy, I didn't expect him to be like the spitting image of Kyoya Tategami." Tobio blinked slowly, his harsh gaze fixed on Jacques, who stared at him with a mixture of confusion and anticipation. The short boy sighed and pulled a sucker from his pocket, removed the wrapper, and popped it in his mouth. "I think this may work."

"Of course!" Ryutaro tugged on a strand of Jacques' now-teal hair, causing the new kid to flinch and whimper in pain. "Did you doubt my awesomeness?"

Tobio rolled his eyes and grumbled, "Well, yea…kinda."

The boy with his midnight blue hair danced around Jacques happily before coming to a halt in front of him and smiling at his work. The young English boy's hair had been dyed to a shade that was like the perfect copy of Kyoya himself. His nerdy glasses were sitting on the vanity there in the bathroom, long-forgotten and replaced with contacts that were remarkably comfortable. And Ryutaro, with his knowledge in makeup, had managed to replicate those cross-like scars that spread underneath Kyoya's eyes.

"Ooooh, it's so perfect! I'm such a genius!" Ryutaro exclaimed, clasping his hands together.

Jacques closed his crystal eyes. What had he gotten himself into?

"Anyways, Tobio," Ryutaro went on sternly, turning to said boy, "I did my part. You got Jack the bey, right?"

Jacques raised his hand nervously. "Uh…my name's Jacques. Not Jack."

"No." Ryutaro spun around to glare at him. "Your name's _Kyoya_ now. And you're not doing the voice I taught you, so try again," he added irritably, waving his hands frantically.

Clearing his throat, Jacques began to speak again, doing his best to force his voice into the one that Ryutaro had tried to force upon him. "Sorry; how's this?"

"Perfect!" Ryutaro squealed. "Now. Tobio, you got the bey, yes?"

"Of course," he scoffed, rolling his eyes as he fished in his pocket for a small green beyblade. "Why do you doubt me?"

Ryutaro held out his hand, and Tobio passed it off to him. "Because replicating a bey is hard work."

Tobio chuckled. "Not for me."

Jacques took a step forward, raising one of his eyebrows. "But I've read that-"

"Ah, ah, ah." Ryutaro wagged a slender finger in front of the kid's face. "Do the voice."

He rolled his eyes and took in a deep breath of air before speaking again, trying his hardest not to make his voice sound strained. "But I've read that it's physically impossible to replicate a beyblade completely. It hasn't even been done yet by the professionals…"

"But it is very possible for the Dark Nebula," Tobio pointed out.

Jacques blinked, confused. "The who?"

Tobio threw his arms in frustration. "The who? The who? The-" He turned to Ryutaro, grabbing the collar of the boy's shirt with his hands and yanking him forward so that their noses brushed. "The kid doesn't even know who the Dark Nebula is!"

Startled by Tobio's sudden outburst – even though he really should've been used to it – Jacques backed up a little. He didn't understand…what could've been the big deal? If the Dark Nebula was something important, he would've read about it in the books, right? Maybe it was only some failed organization that only a few people there in Tokyo knew about.

Ryutaro approached Jacques, and the teal-haired boy blinked a couple of times as he cleared his mind. He took the beyblade from Ryutaro and stared down at it, admiring the way it glinted green in the light.

"Listen, _Kyoya_." Ryutaro winked. "We're gonna have to take you somewhere where you can practice. And we'll have to explain the Dark Nebula to you on the way."

"What's there to explain?" Tobio pulled the sucker from his mouth and inspected it before drawing his tongue – turning purple from the candy – over it. "The Dark Nebula is just a group of wanna-be bad guys who can't beyblade to save their lives."

"But…that doesn't explain-" Jacques broke off, coughing. Doing that voice was harder than it seemed! "-how they can replicate a bey."

"Oh, the technology there is great!" Tobio explained. "It's not a full replica, but it has approximately fifty-two percent of the real Leone's power and strength."

"Interesting…" Jacques tapped his chin in respective thought.

::::::

"Do you hold it like this?"

"No! No! _No_! You're doing it all wrong, fool!" Tobio rushed over to Jacques's side, shouting out profanities as he snatched the bey launcher from the boy's inexperienced hands. He demonstrated the correct way to hold it, one hand holding the launcher while his fingers clutched at the end of the ripcord. He handed back to Jacques, smiling slightly upon seeing Jacques succeed. "Now. Hold your arms out like this." Tobio lifted his arms up, tensing his muscles.

"Eh…this feels so weird," Jacques mumbled as he straightened out his arms.

"You'll get used to it." Tobio shrugged. "Keep your feet planted firmly on the ground. And once you know where you're aiming, pull back on the rip cord."

"D-do you want me to do that now?" Jacques asked quietly, glancing to him uncertainly.

Tobio rolled his eyes. "Duh. Now get to it. Aim for the center of the arena." He pointed toward the dip in the ground, where most practice bey battles were held.

Jacques squeezed his eyes shut and yanked back on the rip cord with as much power as he could manage. The little green top went flying – and it landed with a little metallic clink. Only…it wasn't rotating as it should have been. Instead, it skipped along the ground until coming to a stop, lying there useless.

"That. Was. Pathetic!" Tobio screeched. "Can't you do better than that?! Watch Ryutaro, okay?" He padded around the arena to pick up the collapsed beyblade while his friend launched his own, and Jacques watched in awe.

"Take this and try again," Tobio snarled, handing the bey to Jacques, who obliged, though his hands shook nervously.

It seemed like it took too long for him to get the hang of it. His second attempt resulted in the fake Leone whizzing right past Ryutaro's head and terrifying the poor boy. The third attempt left all three of them surprised; the beyblade _actually_ landed and rotated a few times before it quit spinning. Which was quite the improvement.

"Keep trying it," Tobio said coolly.

Jacques rolled his eyes, but he kept it up. Kept aiming as best he could, even though he'd strike something ten feet from his target. And the beyblade _refused_ to land most of the time; it'd just go straight to collapsing like a piece of junk. Yet it seemed that he could feel the power in his new bey, which he really liked. It was just as the books said: The blader could feel a connection to his beyblade that no one could explain. And he could feel it, but it wasn't something he could put into words. He knew that the fake Leone was there and he could start to feel the power surge within the tiny green object.

"Let it rip!" Jacques cried out, his voice feeling strained. He yanked back on the rip cord and watched in awe as his very own bey soared into the air before touching the ground exactly where he aimed it. And this time, it didn't cease to rotate after seven seconds – that had been his previous record. Now, it continued to spin strong. He smiled a little to himself and wiped the sweat from his brow. _I've finally done it!_

Tobio glanced over at the swarm of people who had recently gathered to watch.

"Tategami really is something, isn't he?" he asked, his words ending in a dark chuckle.

"None of us are safe," some boy in the crowd murmured, backing away slowly.

"We should get out while we have the chance!"

"It won't be long before he's worse than Ryuga in a bey battle!"

Tobio smirked as most of them fled the area – Jacques hadn't even noticed them standing there watching him. But Tobio knew that this would be quite entertaining. His plan may go better than he thought.

_Can't wait to see the look on your face, Tategami._

_**Please, please, please REVIEW!(:**_

_**(:Mizune**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Thanks for the reviews! I suppose I'll be doing some review replies here at the end of this chapter. Sorry the wait took so long! I get tied up with my other stories!**_

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**Last Chapter.**

_"None of us are safe," some boy in the crowd murmured, backing away slowly._

_"We should get out while we have the chance!"_

_"It won't be long before he's worse than Ryuga in a bey battle!"_

_Tobio smirked as most of them fled the area – Jacques hadn't even noticed them standing there watching him. But Tobio knew that this would be quite entertaining. His plan may go better than he thought._

_Can't wait to see the look on your face, Tategami._

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**Chapter Six.**

"No way! He won another one!" Tobio was careful to keep his voice down so that no one other than Ryutaro could hear him; he didn't need everyone who was watching the bey battle to know that Jacques was truly a fake. After all, how many matches had they won in a row? Was this twelve, or was it thirteen? He couldn't tell…not that it really mattered.

Most of their opponents, he thought, lost due to their fear of Kyoya. And Jacques was pretty good at acting the part, too. That English boy was getting better and better at mastering Kyoya's throaty voice, and with all the insults and threats that flew from his mouth without a second thought, it was as though he literally _was_ Kyoya himself. It was pretty unnerving, to put it simply.

Jacques let a cruel laugh erupt from his throat that startled even Tobio. The teal-haired boy howled out a string of insults at his opponent as the poor, unfortunate blader's bey went flying. He hated to admit that he was enjoying himself a lot more than he thought he would – degrading people really wasn't something he liked doing, but here, he was having more fun than he ever had in his whole life. And it was all because of the power that he could feel surging through his fingertips when he held his little green bey, Leone's perfect _fake._

"Unbelievable! Another one bites the dust!" the blader DJ cried out for all to hear, and the audience roared in response, chanting Kyoya's name.

Completely in character, Jacques clutched the bey to his chest with a smirk, closing his eyes to soak up the applause. _It may not be my name, but….they're cheering for me, _he thought proudly, fighting to keep his cheeks from flushing a pinkish color. The real Kyoya wouldn't blush at something as simple as that.

But _still._

Jacques could be considered a real blader, now. A _real _blader. He was even pretty good at it!

….Sort of.

For the most part, it was the power that his replicated Leone held. Jacques himself only pulled the ripcord, called out orders, and hoped for the best. Which, so far, had been happening. Match after match, he blasted the opponents out of the arena – and as much as he hated to admit it, it was partly because he would catch them off guard while he spat out cruel words that felt like acid on his tongue. Because spitefulness was not something he was used to.

But he was making Ryutaro and Tobio proud – mostly Tobio – and that was what mattered to him at the moment. They intended to pay him for his efforts at impersonating Kyoya and helping them win such a big event; not to mention, he was having a pretty unforgettable time.

Opening his striking blue eyes – it was still pretty weird for him to be wearing contacts, but he was beginning to get used to the feeling – he looked back over to the loser he had been battling and smirked to see the guy walking away with his head hanging in shame.

"It's the time you've all been waiting for~!" The voice of the blader DJ rang out once again, echoing over the sound of the screaming fans. "The final match is about to begin! And, of course, the first opponent will be the one, the only, _Kyoya Tategami_!" He screamed out the name excitedly, while the audience continued to cry out their support.

Jacques narrowed his eyes and flashed a smirk, lifting one hand in a careless wave to acknowledge 'his' fans.

"And his opponent is the big and bad…_Ryuga!_"

The cheers vanished into immediate silence, a sharp intake of breath out of stunned fear. Jacques was no different from them; he'd heard of Ryuga before! He was the blader who had once tried to rule the world with his beyblade, L-Drago. And he…was definitely not the kind of person Jacques needed to be battling. Kyoya Tategami _himself_ had barely managed to stay standing up in his battle against Ryuga; there was no was _Jacques_, with his phony bey, would be able to last even ten seconds against him!

Tobio and Ryutaro stood on either side of him like statues, rigid with shock.

The white-haired blader himself made his way up to the stadium, the biggest, cruelest smirk spread across his features, his golden eyes narrowed to slits. One of his hands was clasped into a tight fist, muscles rippling along his arm from the slight motion.

"So, Tategami, we meet again, huh?" Ryuga asked with an arrogant edge to his voice as he came to a halt.

Jacques stared at him in silence for a few long moments, his sky blue eyes wide. He was at a complete loss of what to say. How on Earth was he supposed to talk to _the _Ryuga, the one who could _destroy _him almost immediately?

Tobio jabbed Jacques in the side with his elbow, but said nothing, as that was plenty enough to cause the now-teal-haired boy to speak.

"It's pretty interesting that the two of us get to battle again, eh, Ryuga?" Jacques bit the inside of his cheek. He did _not _like the way that guy's name sounded on his tongue.

Ryuga lowered his gaze and chuckled darkly. "Ah, Kyoya, you seem quite different from how I remember. Might you be scared to experience what happened last time?"

"Not at all!" Jacques knew his body was shaking, quivering with terror, but he fought against it. If Ryuga could tell how horrified he was, then his fans would be able to as well. Sure, they may not be _his _fans, but a boy could dream. "Because you'll be the one on the losing end!"

Ryuga retrieved his beyblade from the dragon gauntlet on his arm and held it out, prepared to launch. His fingers clutched at the ripcord. He smirked as he saw Jacques do the same. "Well, this oughta be interesting!" he laughed.

Jacques narrowed his eyes, shifting slightly. His feet were planted firmly on the ground a shoulder length apart. He was prepared…

Prepared to lose.

After calling out the usual, "Three, two, one; let it rip!" with the audience and Ryuga, Jacques launched his bey, more than a little pleased to see it land easily and begin circling the stadium. He'd been a little nervous that something really stupid would end up causing him to fail in the battle. But so far, he was doing decently. Until Ryuga's voice rang out in the air.

"You aren't attacking first?" Ryuga challenged. "That's a surprise!"

Jacques growled throatily, as the real Kyoya would've done. "Shut it, dragon boy! You just wait, and you'll get yours!" _My God, he's gonna kill me._

Ryuga smirked and chuckled cruelly. "That's nice, Kyoya. Real nice." L-Drago tilted forward as it lunged for the fake Leone, a thin stream of purple smoke following out behind it. The two beys collided with a little _clink_, sending a flurry of sparks into the air as they ground together.

The white-haired blader frowned as Leone moved away from L-Drago to avoid the next attack. Something was definitely off. Kyoya wouldn't avoid him like that; he would make a counterattack, catch him off guard. Do something along those lines. Never before had Kyoya deliberately _run_ from an attack. Okay, he _had_, but in those _rare _instances, he had a concentrated look on his face. But Kyoya _now_…he looked scared. And he _was shaking._

L-Drago lunged for Leone again, and just like the first time, he was cleverly avoided. Ryuga scowled. _Kyoya, huh? _He may not have been an expert, but he could easily tell when someone was lying. And he was definitely going to do something that shocked these guys.

When Leone finally came at L-Drago for an attack, Ryuga allowed his bey to forced backward; however, he still faked a pretty decent fight. After a few minutes of excited shouts in the audience, some cruel trash-talking between himself and 'Kyoya', flying sparks, and the sound of grinding metal, L-Drago flew into the air. The fans fell silent in shock as the purple beyblade landed at Ryuga's feet.

"And…it seems Kyoya won!"

The screeches of the audience drown out Tobio's and Ryutaro's excited squeals and praise as they bounced up and down, slapping Jacques on the back in an action to say 'well done'.

"…how?" Jacques mumbled, just barely loud enough for Tobio to catch.

"What?"

"How did I win?" The teal-haired boy looked down at the ground after catching his fake Leone in his hand. "I…it was Ryuga…"

Ryutaro smiled and placed a hand on Jacques' shoulder. "I guess you learned more than you thought you did, eh?" His violet eyes switched over to look at Tobio. "This is our lucky day, friend~!" he sang happily.

As they continued with their celebration, Ryuga turned away without another word. He shot a glance to the camera that was trained on him, and he smirked down at his feet. _Ahh, the look on Kyoya's face when he sees this on television._

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_**Yes, I know the battle went too quickly. I got lazy, and I sincerely apologize for that.**_

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**.::Review Replies::.**

**Phantom-san: **_Hehe, all in good time!;)_

**A.B.D.Y.Z: **_Thank you! And I shall! Forever and always!;)_

**Brave kid: **_Thanks! Definitely!_

**HacamaSkyWalker: **_Well, hello there!:D Are you expecting me to add you to this fic or [Prey to the Mighty King]? Because, if it's this one, you'd have to take it up with __brave kid__, as he's the one who's making the major decisions. Otherwise, I can probably fit one more character in Prey, but it'll be a small part._

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_**Reviews are author food! Feed me! Omnomnom.**_

_**Oh, God, I'm a freak.**_

_**(:Mizune**_


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